Yasuko Hayashi as Anna Bolena

Ms. Hayashi, a soprano of some fire and quality, had trouble getting out of the little woman fach. As this clip (Tokyo, 9, 7, 82) indicates, she had considerable aptitude for bel canto, although operahouse managements had the blinkered tendency to envision her as Nedda or (you guessed it) CioCioSan. Her other notable accomplishments included a fine performance of the title role in La Juive, in a London concert performance made famous by the presence of Richard Tucker in the role of